Dan Phillips Builds Low-Income Homes Out Of Bones And Other Reused Materials (VIDEO)

Dan Phillips mortgaged his house in 1997 to start his construction company, Phoenix Commotion, and pursue his dream of using wasted construction materials and other objects bound for the landfill to build affordable homes for low-income families.

In this video, MSNBC takes a look at at the "Bone House," one of 14 homes Phillips has built in Huntsville, Texas. The home is not only embellished with bones lining places like the staircase and counter-tops but has a variety of other unique, artistic features, like floors adorned with bottle caps and champagne corks, and a bathroom covered in mirrors from floor to ceiling.

According to the New York Times, 80% of the materials used in Phillips's creations are salvaged from other constructions projects and plucked from trash bins or curbs. Phillips uses new materials for things like plumbing, wiring, and structural necessities. He also hires unskilled labor, taking them under his wing and providing them with valuable skills for future employment.

The 750-square-foot "Bone Home" is only estimated to have cost $26,000 to build. According to Phoenix Commotion's website, while the construction company is for profit, they are partnered with a Houston-based non-profit, Living Paradigm. They host The Phoenix Fund, which provides money to build the homes, and once the homeowner secures a mortgage, it pays back the fund. The Phoenix Fund accepts donations HERE.

"I decided to set out to prove that you could make a reasonable living building for the poor using recycled materials and only hiring unskilled labor," Phillips tells MSNBC.

WATCH:

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Comments

[Pikkewyn]

08:16 PM on 09/16/2010

Perfect choice for a serial killer. Really solves that "what to do with the bodies" problem.

[Lasse Von Gakhausen]

04:56 PM on 09/12/2010

this home is pretty cool too. it produces 6 times more energy than it uses http://inhabitat.com/2010/08/20/heliotrope-the-worlds-first-energy-positive-solar-home/

[lrobb]

03:21 PM on 09/12/2010

Construction sites are treasure troves of construction materials. Where I live, builders simply burn unused materials rather than pay a fee to take them to a dump. While I may be a Conservative, I really do understand the climatic effect of burning treated lumber.

We have what may be the only Greek Revival Dog House in the US courtesy of construction site leftovers and a husband with way too much time on his hands in retirement. It houses three large dogs in a 10x10 space with a porch. It is brick underpinned, heavily insulated, has a tray ceiling so humans can stand up and put the cushions from our patio furniture in the "attic" for winter storage. Every one of the roof shingles and all of the vinyl siding were also throw-aways. It also has window boxes planted with perennials and a duck weathervane discarded by a builder whose client rejected it. Our only cost was for the 4 small paned windows which we bought from a salvage shop.

It is heated by a discarded bathroom heater from which we have protected the dogs, and cooled by a small window air unit we also found on a discard pile and easily repaired. (My husband is an electrical engineer, and really good carpenter.)

We call it Bone Hall (being from South Carolina and all.)

[llisa]

02:17 PM on 09/11/2010

Looks like it would be hard to clean, though. All those uneven surfaces.

[Kiz boy]

08:48 AM on 09/11/2010

old telephone books make great insulation.

[Tommygun264]

11:35 PM on 09/09/2010

Here's a great site for DIY projects, many of them using recycled items:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Genuine-chainmaille-from-pop-tabs/

This link goes to a tutorial on how to make chainmail from soda can tabs - I used it to create a decorative grillwork panel to cover an unattractive ventilation grate in my apartment, which is on the upper floor of an old house - the ventilation shaft creates cross-ventilation, so I couldn't cover it completely and the old wire grate in the back hall just looked creepy. There's tons of projects of all sizes for all skill levels, for clothes, gadgets, toys, and so forth.

[mlaiuppa]

10:33 PM on 09/09/2010

What about the land to build it on?

[Tommygun264]

11:20 PM on 09/09/2010

Well, it's in Huntville, Texas; not Manhattan. Nothing is free, but land can be downright cheap in many areas.

[deweydecimal]

05:27 PM on 09/09/2010

Meh bone house no thanks, a little too morbid for me. Besides there are other ways to build and insulate cheap houses, earth berming, adobe, cob, straw, earthbag, cord wood, old bottles, tires, etc.

[T Pol]

11:14 PM on 09/09/2010

Gives new life to dem old bones.

[Tommygun264]

11:23 PM on 09/09/2010

It's all a matter of perception, really.  Do you shy away from the idea of owning a piano with ivory keys? What about jewelry made from or a mosaic decorated with seashells?

[onwisconsin]

03:15 PM on 09/12/2010

Pianos aren't made with ivory keys anymore. Ivory trading (Elephant poaching) is illegal and you bet I have a problem with it.

[KingofDetroit]

02:55 PM on 09/09/2010

now thats taking recyling seriously. very cool.